Braided Line...

[TimJ]

I have been spooling up my braid reels with some free braid the past couple of years so I didnt think twice about how much to use. I am respooling with PP and would like know how much line is really needed without going overboard so that I can spool a max # of reels. I use spinning (20lb) and baitcasting (30lb) and will be flipping 50lb. I am sure that I dont need much on my flipping setups but I do throw the occasional cast over reeds and such. Any help would be appreciated.

thanks.

Tim J

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I use a mono backing with about 2.5 good casts worth of braid (about 75 yards).

[James Yalem]

I only use 50 yards of braid and fill the rest of the spool with cheap mono backing. It takes a longer to fill the spool because you have to put the braid on first using a line counter (purchased from Bass Pro), then fill the reel with the backing. Then you have to put the backing on another reel and the braid on another spool or reel, put the backing back on the reel to be filled and then put the braid back on the same reel. However, braid line sometimes lasts for two years.

[Marty]

Like James, I use about 50 yards. However, I've been doing it long enough that I put on the backing first and know about how much room I need to leave on top.

[hookingem]

I spool up alot of reels everyday with braid at work, and if they are only bass fishing 70 yards of braid is plenty.

[Jig Man]

I make a lot of long casts so I put on 20 yds more than my long casts. I spool on the braid then the mono. I tie it to my boat and walk it off the reel then respool putting the mono on first. It is a little extra work but it gives me exactly how much line I want on the reel with no guess work.

[OkobojiEagle]

I believe spooling less braid on your reel wastes more braid. Consider spooling 60yds of a 120yd filler spool of braid. Dispose of 1ft of braid each time you re-tie. After re-tying 90 lures (90ft of line) you have 30yds of braid remaining on your spool and a long cast will reach the backing knot so you dispose of the remaining 30yds of braid and spool the 2nd 60yds of braid onto your reel and repeat. After using the 2nd 1/2 of the filler spool you will have used 60yds of the braid and disposed of 60yds of the braid.

If you fill your reel with the entire 120yds of braid you will re-tie 270 times before you reach the backing knot on a long cast disposing of 30yds but using 90yds of the filler spool. Adding backing will be necessary to keep the reel spool full as you use up the braid.

oe

[TimJ]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Much appreciated.

Tim J

[J Francho]

75 yards. More if you don't use a leader and retie often.

[piscicidal]

I put 50 yards on flipping/pitching setups and 100 yards on casting setups.

OkojobiEagle makes a very good point about cutting it too close with the length on your casting setups. If you only put 50-60 yards on the reel, you are a couple birdsnests/reties away from replacing the 30some yards you have left. You will actually use more line instead of using less.

I retie alot on my frog/swimbait setups as the line is constantly cutting through sawgrass/cattails/lily pads/etc so 100 yards is a must.

I like the 50/100 allocation as most line spools come in 50 yard increments.

[SirSnookalot]

I fill the entire spool with braid, no backing at all, I use leaders. I do this for freshwater, inshore and offshore fishing.

[Bass_Fanatic]

I fill the entire spool with braid, no backing at all, I use leaders. I do this for freshwater, inshore and offshore fishing.

X2

No backing here...just braid!

[Fish Chris]

I fill the entire spool with braid, no backing at all, I use leaders. I do this for freshwater, inshore and offshore fishing.

piscicidal

X3

And BTW, even though I don't pay for my line, I do make it go a LONG ways. For one thing, after I have cut off, and retied, enough X's to get low, I simply remove the line, add enough backing (still braid though) then put the line back on, and I'm full again

Oh, and with braid (unlike lame mono) you can reverse the line you put back on {just take it off onto one coffee can.... wrap to one other, then put back onto the reel} and now, it's like you have a full spool, of brand new braid

Peace,

Fish

[Stasher1]

I use just enough mono backing to cover the spool with a single layer and then fill the rest of the spool with braid. The only exception to this is my little Ryobi Zauber 1000 with the line tie hole in the spool. There's no way your braid can slip on that bad boy.

[James Yalem]

I believe spooling less braid on your reel wastes more braid. Consider spooling 60yds of a 120yd filler spool of braid. Dispose of 1ft of braid each time you re-tie. After re-tying 90 lures (90ft of line) you have 30yds of braid remaining on your spool and a long cast will reach the backing knot so you dispose of the remaining 30yds of braid and spool the 2nd 60yds of braid onto your reel and repeat. After using the 2nd 1/2 of the filler spool you will have used 60yds of the braid and disposed of 60yds of the braid.

If you fill your reel with the entire 120yds of braid you will re-tie 270 times before you reach the backing knot on a long cast disposing of 30yds but using 90yds of the filler spool. Adding backing will be necessary to keep the reel spool full as you use up the braid.

oe

Except that as you use more line, your spool has less line on it. Once you have used 25% of your line, then your spool is only 75% full. I like full spools for casting and fishing, so even after I have used 15 yards, I still have a fairly full spool. Since I use 4-5 rods in my boat, I don't retie that often on any one reel. Also, my usual retie only takes about 4-8 inches of line depending on how large a lure that I am using; hooks may use only 2-3 inches of line.

[dodgeguy]

i use a full spool of braid except 4 electrical tape backing.

[hatrix]

@OkobojiEagle You loose a foot of line each time you re tie?! That seems excessive to me. I only loose whatever my tag end and knot is when im re tying and that is about 2" or so. I just tie a palomar and never have to cut any line off its always a perfect tag end.

I also spool straight braid on my reels. Its easier that way and I don't really notice any difference with a backing or no backing its all the same to me. Maybe in the long run its more cost effective to use a backing since you will have a full spool more often and better casting, but I can re tie all day and only loose a couple inches each time so its no biggie.

[SirSnookalot]

Using a leader will eliminate any loss of your main line, I never fish without one. Leaders or not boils down to personal preference.

[OkobojiEagle]

Hatrix... Duck! I tried to keep the arithmetic simple in my example. I apologize for pitching it over your head.

oe

[Jim_M]

I only use 50 yards of braid and fill the rest of the spool with cheap mono backing. It takes a longer to fill the spool because you have to put the braid on first using a line counter (purchased from Bass Pro), then fill the reel with the backing. Then you have to put the backing on another reel and the braid on another spool or reel, put the backing back on the reel to be filled and then put the braid back on the same reel. However, braid line sometimes lasts for two years.

my brain hurts.